Just in case there aren’t enough cheesy one-liners out there about studying abroad, I’d like to add that it’s definitely an unforgettable experience. It’s quite a bittersweet feeling to have finally landed back in New Zealand. The places I visited, the friends I made and the memories I formed make me want to do it all over again.

Engineering at UoA has a very specific schedule and NUS is notorious for being strict with their initial acceptance of modules (courses). So like many exchangers before me, I went over with only two confirmed classes out of the four I needed. There was nothing I could do until the module add/drop period that happened during the first week of classes. Looking back, it was the biggest hurdle that I had to overcome, mentally, before I could commit to my exchange. At the time, the idea that I might have to delay my graduation did not sit right with me. When you add in all the pre-departure anxiety and the various concerns, I felt very hesitant about it all. Now at the end of the tunnel, I would like to report back that the experience definitely outweighed all my worries. If I were to decide again, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

And of course, you’ll experience ups and downs when you’re so far from home, the occasional wave of loneliness, the sporadic moments of FOMO hearing the stories of your friends back home and the odd time and time again of feeling a bit lost. For me, I did find some comfort in recognising that it was okay to feel such, and its human to feel the ups and downs no matter where you are.

My exchange may very well be the part of university I look back to the most fondly, for I would encourage everyone to take a leap of faith and, just go for it.